The Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine

Will compressed and overlapping steps get a vaccine faster? The innovations advocated for in Vaccines development that are being employed in the COVID-19 response today include: running certain clinical trials in parallel instead of sequentially; gearing up manufacturing capacity before final study results are in and negotiating public/private commitments in advance to facilitate sustainable access to new vaccines.

Excerpted from Five “P”s to Watch.

Leveraging the Vaccines Enterprise for COVID-19 Vaccine Research

In many ways, the collaborative research movement grew up around Vaccines. Thanks in large part to HIV advocacy, out-of date research models that were competitive and closed-door are increasingly yielding to more transparent and collaborative research and development efforts—in both the HIV and COVID-19 responses.

Building on big science partnerships, data sharing and collaboration pioneered over the last 15 years of Vaccines research and development, global initiatives are marshalling the talents, experiences and resources of key stakeholders. And just as HIV laid the foundation for more effective partnerships in research, lessons from the COVID-19 experience can also inspire greater collaboration and broader involvement by a range of players in the vaccines research effort.

Excerpted from 5 “P”s to Watch.

Understanding COVID-19 Mathematical Models

This brief provides information on mathematical modeling for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Intersections of HIV and COVID-19 in Real-Time

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on across the world, the latest crisis is markedly reminiscent of the early days of HIV. And while the HIV epidemic is far from over, unrelenting activism, strong community engagement, partnerships and innovation are to thank for the strides the field has made towards controlling the epidemic.

Now, the response to COVID-19 is drawing heavily from these successes, and at the same time, forcing even more innovation on the HIV front.

In this episode of Px Pulse, we’ve compiled excerpts from two April webinars that offer unique perspectives on how COVID-19 and HIV are shaping one another. First, Mark Feinberg, CEO of IAVI, and Helen Rees, Executive Director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), speak to COVID-19 vaccine development, and the role of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) in spurring vaccine funding and collaboration. We then turn to community engagement experts Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, Director of Research at Wits RHI, Vincent Basajja of the Uganda Virus Research InstituteJau Nanyondo from Uganda’s Makerere University Walter Reed Project and Philister Adhiambo from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, who explain how HIV prevention trials are adapting in the wake of COVID-19.

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Advocates Call for Ethical Research for COVID-19 Solutions

More than 260 organizations and individuals have joined an Advocates Call for Ethical Research for COVID-19 Solutions. Read the letter reiterating the essential role of ethical research, and the need to move forward based on facts and evidence, and help us carry this message forward!

Applying Lessons from Family Planning to HIV Prevention Product Introduction

An analysis of lessons and data from family planning in sub-Saharan Africa to better inform introduction of HIV prevention products and integration of HIV prevention into family planning settings.

Integration of HIV Prevention and Sexual Reproductive Health Services in Kenya

Findings from an assessment of HIV prevention and SRH integration in Kenya, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, comprised of site visits to health facilities, key informant interviews, civil society dialogues and a policy review.

HIV & Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration

Compilation of top learnings on and approaches to implementing HIV/SRH integration in sub-Saharan Africa, drawn from literature reviews, qualitative interviews, and an analysis of policy requirements for PrEP and family planning providers.

Exploring Integration of Family Planning and HIV Services

A literature review to identify existing knowledge on barriers and enablers to the integration of HIV and family planning services in sub-Saharan Africa, in order to understand the feasibility of providing existing and new HIV prevention options and services in family planning settings.

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention (VMMC): An introductory factsheet

This introductory 2-page document explains how VMMC works, reviews the scientific evidence behind it, and outlines key advocacy issues for implementing it.